Julián Serini, PhD in physics, is a retired senior researcher of the National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET). He is a world leading physicist who studies the low temperature magnetic properties of an element of the periodic table that is frequently used in ordinary life, for instance to generate the ignition spark of lighters: cerium. The researcher works currently at the Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica (CNEA) [Argentine Commision of Atomic Energy].

Sereni is going to travel to Praga, Czech Republic, where he is going to receive the award, and will open the International Conference of “Strongly Correlated Electronic Systems (SCES)” with a talk.

“This recognition is undoubtedly a great satisfaction for me, not only for the value placed on our work but also because the people who nominated me are the ones who had always supported me abroad”, Julián Sereni says. Furthermore, he highlighted the fact that this award was established to honor Bernard Coqblin, a prominent French researcher remembered by having time for others.”

The award committee of the 2017 SCES seminar stated that Sereni was selected for his “significant and long-lasting contribution and experimental research in Argentina.” For more than 40 years, the scientist has worked on providing the most general vision of phenomenology of these strongly correlated electron systems.

Beyond this award, Sereni adds: “There is one non-scientific property of cerium that is worth mentioning because it was the best way to make friends with colleages and students.